Author: SinghCity

Grass Valley’s last samurai

Something is simply not right about Grass Valley, and I’m not just talking about the drugs or their choices in pets. It also looks like some people there just don’t learn the easy way:

Thirty-two-year-old Zoltan Gergely pleaded innocent yesterday to charges he tried to assault his roommate with a camping hatchet…In the previous case, Gergely was sentenced to 300 days in jail and five years of probation last year after being convicted of attacking a woman and her boyfriend on their doorstep with a samurai sword.

You see parents, THIS is what happens when you let children think it’s alright to run around with scissors.

Sac is buff

Men’s Fitness Magazine has released their 2006 America’s Fittest Cities rankings. And, guess what? Sacramento actually made it as a top city, coming in at number 11 (though we dropped 4 points from last year). Who would have thought? Here’s what they had to say about our foyne, chiseled and ripped torso of a town:

» Sacramento residents rank in the top 10 cities for sports participation.
» The city is also in the top 10 for sporting-goods stores.
» Health food stores, golf courses and federal parks are plentiful.
» However, the number of tennis courts and basketball courts are lower than average.
» Residents have a lower-than-average risk of health problems related to being overweight.
» They also watch less TV than average.

I sit (on my sofa watching Wheel of Fortune with a bag of nachos) surprised.

Rest in peace Jimmy, we hardly knew thee

Jimmy, the Sac Zoo’s rare and endangered golden-bellied mangabey, has died.

But, who was Jimmy? Even the Zoo isn’t entirely sure:

According to the zoo, golden-bellied mangabeys are considered endangered. There are only 19 golden-bellied mangabeys in North American zoos. Little is known from the wild about these primates. They believe the primates only live naturally in a small area in Democratic Republic of Congo.

Not to make little of the loss to the Zoo, but CBS13’s online write-up of the story sounds too much like a Seinfeld bit.

Be kind, don’t malign our fine bovine

carlcow.jpg

You know, something’s been smelling lately around the offices of the Sac Rag, but it ain’t the cows.

The Central Valley’s uddered citizens get a bad rap, since it’s commonly believed that the emissions from bovine tootification significantly contribute to the poor air quality in the area. However, a recent study done at UC Davis has exonerated our four-legged milk-shaking friends. Against conventional wisdom, the researchers believe that plants contribute more to smog-forming gases than cows. Moreover:

The valley’s air pollution problems are more related to geography than internal pollution sources like cows, surmised the UC scientist. The valley is rimmed by mountains which prevent smog from escaping once it is blown in via prevailing winds from the West.

So, leave our cows alone. They’re just trying to make it – like any one of us – in this world.

Walkin’ the line

I’m sure you’ve heard that Joaquin Phoenix performed at Folsom State Prison yesterday, as a sort of tribute to Johnny Cash. During his performance, Joaquin is quoted to have said:

“I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but I’ve messed up like 40 times,” Phoenix told the inmates. “I’m all over the place.”

To which, an inmate exclaimed, “That’s funny man. We done messed up just one time to get in here, and we got in dis place.”

Ok, I just made that last part up.

Sacramento’s clogged arteries

I present to you Roto-Rooter’s Top Five Drainpipe Recoveries of 2005. And we done good, Sacramento. Ladies and Gents, number 5 on the list :

Sacramento, CA – Roto-Rooter’s Brek Ritzema and Scott Chapman were called to a business with a backed-up sewer main. Toilets and sinks were over-flowing so the plumbers went to work on the clog. Finally, their equipment started pulling out myriad of empty miniature liquor bottles – the kind they serve on airlines. An employee was apparently in the habit of drinking on the job and flushing the evidence.

But that’s not all. Let’s take a “trip” up to Grass Valley, shall we? Elsewhere on Roto-Rooter’s site:

A Slippery Situation – Grass Valley, CA
A four-foot family pet python slithered into the bathroom and seemingly disappeared. The family called a pest control company, the fire department and others, but could not get any help. A Roto-Rooter technician located the snake with a fiber optic cable camera used to inspect pipes. Once locating the snake, the owners were able to lure the snake out with a mouse for bait.

Of course, these are just the things they found in our local toilets. Imagine what’s been flushed and not gotten stuck.

Anyone got an ark?

Yikes! All of a sudden we’re getting all this talk about the threat of flooding in Sacramento. While the streets could use a big cleaning, it does sound rather ominous.

This morning, I was listening to the interviews that radio stations were running with local flood control officials. With the talk about significant rising of local water levels, I’m wondering if I should be concerned about what these officials are not saying, rather than about what they are saying.

Nonetheless, while I may be a little extra sensitive to the issue just because of the south Asia tsunami and Hurricane Katrina, it occured to me that perhaps it might be prudent to make sure my household will be ready for such events here, just in case. Lo and behold, the Sac Bee printed an article today about preparing for potential floods here. It’s a lot of common sense, but it certainly makes for a good checklist.

Whatever happened to good ol’ tar and featherin’?

They always say that punishment should fit the crime. But what they don’t say is, punishment justifies the crime.

A judge out in Nevada wants to punish rowdy New Year’s Eve party goers by either giving law breakers 10 days in jail, or by making them take an ad out in their local paper confessing their crime. This is not to shame them, of course:

“By allowing their friends, their sorority sisters, everyone else to find out what the consequence is at Lake Tahoe, it might sting for a minute but it’s going to prevent somebody else from getting arrested or injured the following year,” Glasson explains.

That’s right sorority sisters, shape up or ship out! The ironic thing is, this punishment could be seen as a reward:

Many of those in their 20s were critical of the concept. “I think it’s ridiculous,” Brittany Putich told News10. She thinks the ads might actually serve as a badge of honor for young troublemakers. A companion agreed. “I wouldn’t have a problem writing an ad in my paper saying I got a drunk and disorderly,” said Thomas Cordova.

Classy, for sure. Put it in your resume, kid!

What traffic reporters don’t tell you

I’ve long lamented the fact that traffic reports/reporters in this city are almost useless to the regular driver. They don’t help you much really, when you’re already stuck in traffic. They’ll tell you you’re stuck, which you know, but don’t tell you how to get out of it, which you’d like to know. Sometimes, you just gotta learn on your own.

Recently, I found a bit of a “shortcut” – I use quotes because the route is actually a longer way around distance-wise, but it takes less time to travel during rush hour. The culprit that I try to avoid? The I-5 South connection off eastbound 50 coming from West Sacramento.

This is one spot that typically jams up, as the one lane branching off 50 East to I-5 South clogs up. What’s worse, many people won’t let you merge once the traffic comes to a standstill. If you ever find yourself in this scenario, try this solution:
Continue reading “What traffic reporters don’t tell you”